This invention relates to a method for recycle and use of soil, sludge, sand, and rock contaminated with organic solvents and/or toxic metals and water contaminated with toxic metals. For ease of description, soil, sludge, sand and rock will be collectively referred to herein as earthen mineral matter.
Disposal of earthen mineral matter contaminated with toxic metals and/or organic solvents has increasingly become a problem. Over the last number of years, contaminated earthen mineral matter has become heavily regulated by the United States Government and many state governments. As a result, disposal has become very expensive.
The alternatives for disposal of this material are severely limited. The two principal alternatives are incineration and land filling. However, the presently existing incineration capacity for hazardous wastes in the United States is substantially committed. Moreover, incineration is not a practical method for disposal of toxic metals because incineration of the contaminated material typically results in the vaporization of the metals, thus converting the pollution from one state to another.
Likewise, landfilling is not a satisfactory alternative. Many existing landfills are leaking and the costs of cleaning-up a leaking landfill can be staggering.
Consequently, a need has remained for a safe method of disposal of contaminated earthen mineral matter.